


Breathe With Me

by Fire_Bear



Series: PrUK Week 2018 [3]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Claustrophobia, Cuddling & Snuggling, Day 3, Elevators, M/M, Panic Attacks, PrUK Week 2018, Trapped In Elevator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-21 21:20:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14923058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Bear/pseuds/Fire_Bear
Summary: The only bad thing about Arthur's company is that fact that there are no stairs. One morning, he's forced to use the lift with Gilbert Beilschmidt - but neither of them reach their desks on time.





	Breathe With Me

**Author's Note:**

> The panic attack I've written in this might not be... accurate. I've hyperventilated a few times but I'm not claustrophobic or been stuck in that sort of situation before. Actually, it's only been about my fear of heights twice and didn't last for very long. So I'm sorry if it's all wrong.

Arthur had always been impressed with his company's office building. It was tall and sleek and shiny and new. There were barriers with little gates that you could only open with your fingerprint. The air conditioning was state of the art and changed its output depending on the weather, without any need for anyone's input. All of the computers were the latest models, with problems being fixed instantly. His job was challenging and he was paid well.

The lift was the only problem.

Unlike most places Arthur had been in, the building did not provide stairs for frequent use. To be used in an emergency only, the stairs were blocked by heavy fire doors which were alarmed. No-one could open them without alerting security and the fire department. There were horror stories of people who had been fired for using them without there being an emergency and Arthur didn’t want to risk it so, every weekday, he had to endure the five minute ride in the lift as he was cursed with the unfortunate fact that his office cubicle was on one of the upper floors.

On this particular morning, Arthur arrived a little later than usual. He always arrived with enough time to walk up to his cubicle on the off chance the lifts would be out of order. That day, though, Arthur’s journey to work was impeded by roadworks, a diversion and a traffic accident. So, when he hurried through the barrier, he found himself approaching Gilbert Beilschmidt, a man who was notorious for being only just in time for his shifts, as he waited for a lift to appear. They nodded in greeting and stood beside each other.

Gilbert Beilschmidt worked on the same floor as Arthur but he was in a different division. As such, Arthur didn’t know much about him. What he _did_ know was that he was behind most of the office pranks and had been the one to get their bosses to provide hot chocolate in the break rooms. Also, every year for the Secret Santa, he dragged in giant cuddly toys. Arthur had only ever seen him at a distance and he was usually smiling or laughing. But they’d never actually spoken so the wait was a little awkward.

Finally, the lift arrived and Gilbert stepped into the empty… box. Arthur gritted his teeth as he steeled himself. Then, as he did every weekday morning, he stepped inside, breathing quickened. He turned to face the door and took his last deep breath. Out of the corner of his eye, Arthur saw Gilbert press the button for their floor. As the doors closed, Arthur took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. _I am in a wide meadow_ , he told himself, _with pretty flowers and a wide sky_. After a moment, he opened his eyes and forced himself to breathe evenly. This would be over soon, he would be out in the wide spaces of the office.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Arthur startled at the voice. Nobody ever spoke to him when he was doing his usual calming procedure. What’s more, Gilbert sounded genuinely concerned, despite not really knowing him. “Oh,” he said, slowly. “I’m fine.”

“Dude,” said Gilbert, sending him a disbelieving look. “You look pale. Almost as pale as me. Except when I sunburn,” Gilbert added with a chuckle. “Then I look like a lobster.”

Sending Gilbert a wobbly smile, Arthur nodded. “I’m fine, honestly. I do this every day.”

“What, look like you're about to pass out?”

“Ride the lift,” Arthur answered, rolling his eyes.

And, at that exact moment, the lift jolted, there was a grinding noise and all sensations of movement stopped. The lights dimmed, giving the impression that it was dusk instead of dawn. Both of them stilled, glancing at each other. Arthur had no doubt that he'd gotten even paler. Seemingly realising that Arthur wasn’t about to move, Gilbert stepped forward to the control panel and pressed the door open button. When that didn't work, he tried pushing the button for their floor which had gone dark, Arthur noticed. When he dared to look up, he saw that there was no number on the display to tell them what floor they were on. Valiantly, Arthur tried not to panic as he watched Gilbert hit every single button. None of them lit up. The last button he hit was the emergency call button. Arthur told himself that, once the appropriate people had been notified, they would be able to get out of there in no time.

Nothing happened.

“What-What’s going on?” he asked, ashamed to realise that his voice was trembling. “Are… Are we… _stuck_ here?”

“It looks like it,” Gilbert muttered.

“No- What-? That- can’t-” Arthur said, haltingly. He could feel the panic set in and he dropped the bag he had slung over his shoulder as he stepped back. His back hit the wall disturbingly quickly and his eyes flew wide. In all the months he had been at the company, Arthur hadn’t felt quite so trapped as he did then.

Only once had he felt as if he was helpless, stuck in the dark, everything closing in around him, his breath stuck in his throat…

Memories of a trunk at the foot of his grandpa’s bed overlaid the scene of an alarmed Gilbert staring at him. It had been the perfect hiding place for a five year old and Arthur had been delighted to have had none of his older brothers anywhere near him when he went into the room. But there had been things inside that he hadn’t wanted to break and he’d carefully laid them out on the bed. Then he’d clambered in and lay there, giggling.

The laughter stopped when his brothers found him and, thinking it funny, had placed something heavy on the lid. Arthur had been unable to push the lid off him, no matter how hard he had tried. To his younger mind, he had thought that his brothers would actually leave him in there forever. It had been dark, with only a tiny beam of light coming through the keyhole. At first, he had shouted and shouted but when he felt it hard to breathe, he had had to stop, whimpering until he cried himself to sleep.

A few hours later, his frantic mother had pulled him from the trunk, yelling at his brothers for doing something so stupid. It had taken them all a few days and several apologies to get over it. But Arthur hadn’t really recovered from the ordeal and they realised he had developed claustrophobia the next time they’d tried to take him into a lift and he’d screamed the place down. As he got older, he was able to go inside them but his fear was still evident. His brothers always looked guilty when they were with him which only made it worse.

Now, Arthur could feel the strangling grip the fear had on him rise up, gripping at his throat. If there was no way to contact anyone to tell them about this, how long would they be left there for? Would they ever escape? Would they run out of oxygen? That noise had sounded horrifying - would the lift stay up or would it plunge to their deaths?

“Hey, hey, hey, woah,” said Gilbert, suddenly in front of him. His hands hovered around Arthur, clearly unsure as to what he should do, whether or not he should touch him. “Are you okay?”

“No- Can’t- breathe- Claus-tro-phobic,” Arthur managed to get out. It was a miracle he did.

“Woah, what? You- Why the hell do you-? Oh.” Gilbert honestly sounded like he was panicking, too, and it made Arthur want to laugh. He just didn’t have the breath for it. “Okay. Okay, uh, what-? Is there anything I should be doing?”

“I- don’t-know-” Arthur shook his head, trying to clear it. He’d never been trapped like this, not without the knowledge that he’d be released soon.

“Right… Is it okay to touch you?”

Arthur looked up at him with wild eyes, unsure why he was asking him that. Then he saw that Gilbert’s hands were just inches from his arms and he suddenly felt as if he needed a hug. Though, with his shallow, harsh breaths, he wasn’t sure that was a good idea. Regardless, Arthur nodded.

Instantly, he had a pair of hands gripping his upper arms, manoeuvring them both until they were looking at each other. Arthur’s heart was already beating hard but he could feel himself flushing at the attention. He wasn’t used to this. Tears were gathered at the corners of his eyes and they threatened to fall when he spotted Gilbert’s worried expression, the barely suppressed panic at the situation clear in the way he was biting his lip.

“Okay, okay,” murmured Gilbert. “You’re okay.”

Narrowing his eyes, Arthur attempted to glare at him. “We- are- stuck- here- or- did you- forget-?”

“Yes, but… Okay,” said Gilbert, a little more firmly. “I want you to breathe, okay? Just… take a deep breath in and hold it.”

“If- I- could- do that- I-”

“Yeah, yeah,” Gilbert interrupted him. “Just… watch me and do what I do.” And Gilbert took in a great gulping breath, held it and let it out in a sigh that Arthur could feel on his face.

Wishing he could protest, Arthur tried to do as he was told. He took as deep a breath as he could - and found he couldn’t hold it. That made him panic a little more and his hyperventilating grew a bit worse. Without thinking, he found himself clutching at Gilbert’s arms, wide-eyed once again. He was sure he could feel something on his face and hoped it wasn’t tears.

His hopes were dashed when he saw Gilbert’s eyes widen. Gilbert gasped and twitched, as if he wanted to move but also didn’t want to let Arthur go. Eyes darting around, Gilbert took in Arthur’s situation once more. “Would- Would this be easier sitting down?” Gilbert asked. When Arthur only shrugged, Gilbert began to awkwardly help Arthur to the floor till they’d slid down, Arthur with his back to the wall and Gilbert kneeling with his legs either side of Arthur’s. “All right. Where’s the most peaceful place you’ve ever been?”

“Huh?” Arthur breathed.

“Where’s a place that makes you feel relaxed?”

“I-I don’t- know- But- I- usually-” Arthur had to pause to take several breaths before he could continue. “Usually- picture- a meadow-”

“Huh. Well, okay. So, can you picture that now. Just… Just imagine that you’re back in that meadow.”

“Kind- hard- with- you- here-”

“Well… Can’t you imagine I’m there with you?”

Arthur blinked at him for a moment. Then, once he’d glanced around the lift and realised it was too hard to do when he could see the reality, he closed his eyes. There was his meadow, with pretty blue and red and yellow flowers. Up above was the sky, dotted with fluffy white clouds. And Gilbert was there, wearing more casual clothes (though Arthur couldn’t settle on what they were), smiling at him.

“Got it?” Gilbert asked, quietly.

“Yes-” Arthur answered, his breathing still quick and harsh.

“Good. Look at all that air. All there for you. So, take a deep breath. Can you smell that, uh, grassy smell?”

Stifling the urge to snort, Arthur did as he was told - and was surprised that, despite being limited, he was still able to breathe in and hold it. He let it out rather quickly but he soon took another deep breath. Gilbert was murmuring as he did so, encouraging him. After a long period of time where he kept his eyes firmly shut, Arthur was finally able to breathe. Everything seemed to slow, calming.

“There. See? Everything's fine,” said Gilbert. “Feel better?”

“Yes,” Arthur murmured. “I don’t think I can stand, though.” He paused. “And… And I don’t want to open my eyes,” he added, quickly. Just the thought made him tense, gripping Gilbert tightly again.

“You don’t need to.” Gilbert shifted above him. “But I’m gonna move. Man, I could crouch like this without hurting my back in high school.” He began to move off him, his hands slipping from Arthur’s arms.

“No, wait-!” Arthur exclaimed, beginning to panic. His own grip on Gilbert tightened.

Gilbert’s hand landed on Arthur’s knee. “I’m right beside you, okay?” Sure enough, when Gilbert continued moving away, Arthur’s arms were pulled to the side.

“Oh,” said Arthur, feeling stupid. He forced himself to let go, his hands hovering and brushing against Gilbert’s suit jacket until he pulled them away. The panic threatened as soon as he had and he clasped his hands together in his lap, clutching them tightly.

There was silence for a moment, the only sounds Gilbert’s shifting. It wasn't long before the man broke it. “Hey, uh, can I give you a hug?”

Arthur’s eyes nearly flew open at the request. Instead, he squeezed them closed, frowning as he did so. His nails dug into his skin as his hands tightened their grip. “What?” he said, a little breathlessly.

“I just figured you need a hug. Wouldn’t that make you feel better?” Gilbert paused. “Besides, you look exhausted. You can sleep while we- Well.”

For a moment, Arthur had no idea what to do. He didn't want to inconvenience Gilbert any more than he already had. But… a hug sounded nice. The memory of the trunk had reminded Arthur of his mother's embrace when she’d pulled him from it. He had refused to leave her arms for the rest of the day, then. So a hug sounded perfect - except for the simple fact that Gilbert was pretty much a stranger. “I…”

“Come on,” Gilbert suddenly sang. “You know you want to!”

If Arthur’s eyes had been open, he would have rolled them. Instead, he whacked Gilbert lightly on the hand that still rested on Arthur’s knee. “Really?” he said. “You're going to act like that right now?”

“Well, yeah. It made you laugh - inwardly. I can tell!”

Unable to stop it, Arthur snorted. “Unbelievable,” he muttered to himself.

“So? Hug or no hug?”

Startled at how quickly Gilbert returned the conversation to its original topic, Arthur stilled. Should he give in or stay resolute and refuse? He flexed his fingers as he considered it. As he did so, Arthur realised he was trembling, almost shaking with fear. His so-called resolve crumbled.

“I-I suppose if it will make you happy…” he mumbled.

“Okay, cool,” said Gilbert and his hand disappeared. Arthur barely had the time to realise how frightening that was when Gilbert wrapped an arm around his hunched shoulders and tugged him sideways. Caught off guard, Arthur ended up sprawled across him. He scrambled to get off Gilbert’s lap but found himself caught as Gilbert wrapped his other arm around him. Arthur resigned himself to the inevitable and let himself settle against Gilbert, his legs curled on top of Gilbert’s and his arms hesitantly draped around Gilbert’s waist.

“This is ridiculous,” Arthur muttered, meaning their awkward position. He felt as if he was lying on top of Gilbert.

“No, it's not,” Gilbert insisted. “Here.” And, without waiting for an answer, Gilbert reached up and, with a gentle hand, tucked Arthur’s head against his shoulder. His free hand rubbed at what he could reach of Arthur’s back while still keeping his arm wrapped around him. It was comforting and, against his better judgement, Arthur relaxed fully against him, letting out a sigh of relief without meaning to.

Gilbert smelled of something sweet and Arthur found himself wanting to breathe deeply, to capture that calming scent.

The hand on the back of his head started stroking at his hair, Gilbert’s fingers tangling with the strands. His fingertips rubbed gently at Arthur’s scalp and he relaxed even further, contentment filling him. “Are you going to sleep?” asked Gilbert, his voice rumbling through his chest.

Though he was exhausted, Arthur shook his head. “I don’t think I can.”

“Come on, Arthur. You’re safe now.”

“Safe,” Arthur scoffed.

“Safer than I am!” Gilbert exclaimed. “My biggest fear could appear at any moment!”

Concerned, Arthur raised his head a little to frown at Gilbert. His eyes were open now and, this close, he could see where the roots of Gilbert’s hair were coming in. Gilbert was notorious for dying his hair white but Arthur could now see that his natural hair colour was a pale blond. As their gazes met, Arthur noticed that they were a reddish-brown colour, sharp but beautiful. They widened slightly as he blinked at him.

“What’s your biggest fear?”

“Clowns,” Gilbert admitted and shuddered. It was an odd sensation, to feel Gilbert shivering against him. “And those creepy mascot costumes. I have to run away.”

Arthur wasn’t sure if he should laugh or not. Instead of either, he shook his head, smiling, before he let his head drop back onto Gilbert’s shoulder. He let his eyes drop closed. After his hyperventilating, Arthur was beginning to feel heavy, perhaps a little sleepy.

“Don't laugh!” Gilbert protested, poking Arthur in the back. It was still gentle, though, and didn't make Arthur want to jolt away.

“I’m not,” Arthur assured him.

“There could be anyone under there!” Gilbert continued, waving the hand that had been playing with Arthur’s hair. He was quick to return it, running his fingers over Arthur’s ear. “It could be someone with a weapon.”

Without thinking, Arthur added, “It could be a clown.”

Again, Gilbert shuddered. “Stop!” he whined. “You’re making it worse!”

“Sorry.”

There was a pause. “’S’okay,” said Gilbert, his voice quiet. “You should sleep, though.”

“Hmm,” said Arthur, as if he was considering it.

“Go on,” encouraged Gilbert. “You’re safe. I’ll protect you. I swear, I won't let anything happen to you.”

Arthur couldn’t help but smile into Gilbert’s shoulder as the man began to repeat himself, starting up a mantra which relaxed Arthur even further. Strangely, he _did_ feel safe, here in Gilbert’s arms. So he let his eyes drift closed and he unthinkingly nuzzled into Gilbert’s neck, his nose brushing against him. The low voice faltered for a moment but it continued on and Arthur sighed in contentment. It wasn't long before he had fallen asleep.

* * *

He woke to a jolting motion and his face pressed to the metal floor. Grimacing, Arthur peeled himself from it and sat up, looking around, slightly disoriented. What had happened…? His eyes widened as he realised that he was still in the lift, though it was now jerking upwards.

Over by the control panel was Gilbert. He didn't seem to have noticed Arthur waking and was holding onto the railing for dear life. For some reason, he was scowling upwards. Before Arthur could say or do anything, Gilbert turned back to the panel and jabbed at the button.

“Are you lot _trying_ to shake us around?” he demanded.

“Sorry,” came a crackly voice from the intercom. “It seems that the electric winch isn't working properly.”

“Tsk. Then go get another one.”

“No!” Arthur exclaimed. He could feel the panic setting in again. In fact, he was already feeling a little breathless. How long had they been in there? Did they have enough oxygen? What if the next winch didn't work? Would they be trapped in here till they died of starvation or thirst?

“Scratch that,” said Gilbert, hastily. “Get us out of here already!” Not waiting for a reply, Gilbert rushed to Arthur’s side, dropping to his knees so fast that Arthur was sure his trousers would be ruined. “Woah, okay, breathe,” he said, reaching up to stroke at his hair.

“I- I am,” Arthur said, a little shakily. “It’s just…” He glanced around at the walls enclosing them. Had they been that close before?

“Hey, no, look at me.”

A hand cupped Arthur’s cheek and turned his head around. Their eyes met, Gilbert’s expression determined. Arthur didn’t know what he looked like, though he could feel something on his cheek. Hoping it wasn't tears, Arthur bit his lip to keep from making a sound. Gilbert’s expression softened. Gently, his thumb swept the wet sensation away, rubbing at the skin just under Arthur’s eyes.

“It’s okay,” Gilbert murmured, quieter than Arthur had ever heard him. “We’re fine. I promise.”

And the lift jerked again. Arthur’s eyes went wide and he clutched at Gilbert, his breathing growing shallow. Frowning, Gilbert used his free hand to rub at Arthur’s side, as if that would help. But the ticklish sensation made Arthur gasp and Gilbert immediately stopped, squeezing Arthur’s hip in apology. As an answer, Arthur reached down and grabbed Gilbert’s hand in order to move it away from him - just as the lift jerked once more and, instead of pushing Gilbert away, Arthur tightened his grip on Gilbert’s fingers and whimpered.

“Hey, come on, Arthur, look at me.” Rather obediently, Arthur looked up at him, frowning as Gilbert smiled. As their gazes met, Arthur had the fleeting thought that Gilbert’s eyes were beautiful, unique and warm. Before he could dwell on that, Gilbert spoke again. “We’re in a meadow, remember? Are there bunnies?”

“What?” said Arthur, confused.

“I wanna know what your meadow-” Gilbert began but he was interrupted by a screeching sound. They both jumped at that but neither of them moved away from each other. Gilbert turned slightly, though, to look at the doors. Arthur looked over his shoulder and saw light spilling through a gap. A couple of men were peering in.

Relief washed over Arthur and he let out a breath. He didn't care about the rather compromising position he and Gilbert were in. Nor did he care about manners when the men started talking to them; he simply ignored them, too drained to do much else. He did, however, stand when Gilbert coaxed him into it.

“Here,” he heard Gilbert say. “Take him out first.”

“Wait,” said Arthur, turning back to him. “Gilbert, I…” He faltered, unsure as to how to express the sheer magnitude of his gratitude.

“Go,” Gilbert urged him. “You can thank me later.” With a wink, Gilbert guided him towards the men standing there, hands outstretched.

Arthur smiled at him and decided that he definitely would do something to thank him properly.

**Author's Note:**

> I was gonna add in how Arthur thanked him but it didn't fit in right and I tried the ending three different ways. What happens is that Arthur gets ushered to the break room and the two of them don't actually speak for the rest of the day. They smile at each other when they see each other in passing but they don't spot each other much. Arthur gets sent home when it's clear it's still affecting him so he goes to a florist to make an order and comes in early the next day with a bouquet and a vase which he leaves on Gilbert's desk with a note asking him to dinner as thanks.
> 
> Gilbert agrees to the date and that's how their relationship starts.
> 
> (I also like to think that they end up somewhere with a clown once and Arthur has to calm Gilbert down.)


End file.
